Two of the most closely scrutinized aspects of the U.S. immigration detention system during Donald Trump’s second term — deaths in custody and the use of force — will be reviewed by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, which announced new investigations to assess the operation of facilities run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The investigations will seek to determine whether systemic factors, policies, or processes have contributed to the increase in deaths of detained individuals since 2022, as well as to verify whether facilities comply with federal standards on the use of force. Fieldwork for both reviews is scheduled to begin next month.
The first review will cover deaths that occurred between October 1, 2021, and March 31, 2026. In a memorandum addressed to ICE Acting Director David J. Venturella, Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari outlined the purpose of the investigation: “Our objective is to determine whether systemic factors, policies, or processes contributed to detainee deaths that occurred in ICE custody from October 1, 2021, through March 31, 2026. We are conducting this evaluation because of an increase of detainee deaths in ICE custody each year since fiscal year 2022.”
According to ICE, 20 deaths in custody had been recorded so far in 2026. The agency reported 33 in all of 2025 and 11 in 2024. The Associated Press also reported that the mortality rate rose from 13.29 deaths per 100,000 detainees in 2022 to 72.32 per 100,000 in 2026.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General said the review will not be limited to simply counting deaths during the period under examination. It will also assess whether recurring failures in policies, procedures, or facility operations contributed to those cases, in order to determine whether the increase since 2022 is the result of systemic issues within ICE’s detention system.
That increase coincides with a rise in the detained population. The number of people held by ICE reached a peak of 70,000 during Trump’s second term.
In response to the announcement, a DHS spokesperson rejected the idea of an unusual increase in deaths in custody and said there has been “NO spike in deaths.”
The department added that “ICE is regularly audited and inspected by external agencies to ensure that all ICE facilities comply with performance-based national detention standards. All detainees are provided with proper meals, quality water, blankets, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.”
The second Inspector General review will focus on the use of force inside detention facilities. In a separate memorandum, Cuffari said the evaluation aims “to determine whether facilities housing ICE detainees comply with applicable use-of-force standards and policies.”
The investigation will also examine whether facilities adhere to federal policies and whether the procedures used align with ICE’s established standards for the use of force.
The announcement comes after a previous Inspector General report documented two alleged violations of those standards at a detention center in Louisiana, including the use of a prohibited chokehold and a case in which a guard used a pen to stab a detainee who refused to close his cell door.
The reviews also follow a recent change in ICE policy for reporting detainee deaths. The agency now only reports deaths occurring while a person is physically in custody, excluding those who become ill during detention, are transferred to a hospital, are released, and later die. According to ICE data, at least 11 people died in hospitals this year after being released from agency custody.
